First occurrence and composition assessment of microplastics in native mussels collected from coastal and offshore areas of the northern and central Adriatic Sea

Environmental Science and Pollution Research - In recent years, the occurrence of microplastics in the aquatic environment has gathered increasing scientific interest. Several studies have shown...     

Co-treatment of fruit and vegetable waste in sludge digesters. An analysis of the relationship among bio-methane generation,process stability and digestate phytotoxicity

The co-digestion of a variable amount of fruit and vegetable waste in a waste mixed sludge digester was investigated using a pilot scale apparatus. The organic loading rate (OLR) was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.8 kg VS/m³ day. The hydraulic retention time was reduced from 14 days to about 10 days. Specific bio-methane production increased from about 90 NL/kg VS to the maximum value of about 430 NL/kg VS when OLR was increased from 1.46 kg VS/m³ day to 2.1 kg VS/m³ day. A higher OLR caused an excessive reduction in the hydraulic retention time, enhancing microorganism wash out. Process stability evaluated by the total volatile fatty acids concentration (mg/l) to the alkalinity buffer capacity (eq. mg/l CaCO₃) ratio (i.e. FOS/TAC) criterion was <0.1 indicating high stability for OLR <2.46 kg VS/m³ day. For higher OLR, FOS/TAC increased rapidly. Residual phytotoxicty of the digestate evaluated by the germination index (GI) (%) was quite constant for OLR < 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, which is lower than the 60% limit, indicating an acceptable toxicity level for crops. For OLR > 2.46 kg VS/m³ day, GI decreased rapidly. This corresponding trend between FOS/TAC and GI was further investigated by the definition of the GI ratio (GIR) parameter. Comparison between GIR and FOS/TAC suggests that GI could be a suitable criterion for evaluating process stability.     

Using empirical models of species colonization under multiple threatening processes to identify complementary threat‐mitigation strategies

Approaches to prioritize conservation actions are gaining popularity. However, limited empirical evidence exists on which species might benefit most from threat mitigation and on what combination of threats, if mitigated simultaneously, would result in the best outcomes for biodiversity. We devised a way to prioritize threat mitigation at a regional scale with empirical evidence based on predicted changes to population dynamics—information that is lacking in most threat‐management prioritization frameworks that rely on expert elicitation. We used dynamic occupancy models to investigate the effects of multiple threats (tree cover, grazing, and presence of an hyperaggressive competitor, the Noisy Miner (Manorina melanocephala) on bird‐population dynamics in an endangered woodland community in southeastern Australia. The 3 threatening processes had different effects on different species. We used predicted patch‐colonization probabilities to estimate the benefit to each species of removing one or more threats. We then determined the complementary set of threat‐mitigation strategies that maximized colonization of all species while ensuring that redundant actions with little benefit were avoided. The single action that resulted in the highest colonization was increasing tree cover, which increased patch colonization by 5% and 11% on average across all species and for declining species, respectively. Combining Noisy Miner control with increasing tree cover increased species colonization by 10% and 19% on average for all species and for declining species respectively, and was a higher priority than changing grazing regimes. Guidance for prioritizing threat mitigation is critical in the face of cumulative threatening processes. By incorporating population dynamics in prioritization of threat management, our approach helps ensure funding is not wasted on ineffective management programs that target the wrong threats or species.     

Environmental assessment of garden waste management in the Municipality of Aarhus, Denmark

An environmental assessment of six scenarios for handling of garden waste in the Municipality of Aarhus (Denmark) was performed from a life cycle perspective by means of the LCA-model EASEWASTE. In the first (baseline) scenario, the current garden waste management system based on windrow composting was assessed, while in the other five scenarios alternative solutions including incineration and home composting of fractions of the garden waste were evaluated. The environmental profile (normalised to Person Equivalent, PE) of the current garden waste management in Aarhus is in the order of −6 to 8 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the non-toxic categories and up to 100 mPE Mg⁻¹ ww for the toxic categories. The potential impacts on non-toxic categories are much smaller than what is found for other fractions of municipal solid waste. Incineration (up to 35% of the garden waste) and home composting (up to 18% of the garden waste) seem from an environmental point of view suitable for diverting waste away from the composting facility in order to increase its capacity. In particular the incineration of woody parts of the garden waste improved the environmental profile of the garden waste management significantly.     

Spatiotemporal analysis of the PM10 concentration over the Taranto area

In this paper, an analysis of air quality data is provided for the municipal area of Taranto (southern Italy) characterized by high environmental risks as formally decreed by the Italian government in the 1990s with two administrative measures. This is due to the massive presence of industrial sites with elevated environmental impact activities along the NW boundary of the city conurbation. The aforementioned activities have effects on the environment and on public health, as a number of epidemiological researches concerning this area reconfirm. The present study is focused on particulate matter as measured by PM10 concentrations at 13 monitoring stations, equipped with analogous instruments based on the Beta absorption technology, either reporting hourly, two-hourly, or daily measurements. Daily estimates of the PM10 concentration surfaces are obtained in order to identify areas of higher concentration (hot spots), possibly related to specific anthropic activities. Preliminary analysis involved addressing several data problems: (1) due to the use of two different validation techniques, a calibration procedure was devised to allow for data comparability; (2) imputation techniques were considered to cope with the large number of missing data, due to both different working periods and occasional malfunctions of PM10 sensors; and (3) reliable weather covariates (wind speed and direction, pressure, temperature, etc.) were obtained and considered within the analysis. Spatiotemporal modelling was addressed by a Bayesian kriging-based model proposed by Le and Zidek (2006) characterized by the use of time varying covariates and a semiparametric covariance structure. Advantages and disadvantages of the model are highlighted and assessed in terms of fit and performance. Estimated daily PM10 concentration surfaces are suitable for the interpretation of time trends and for identifying concentration peaks within the urban area.     

Designing individualisation of eco information: a conceptual framework and design toolkit

Eco-labelling is the practice of eco information provision that most directly addresses consumer behaviour. Nowadays, consumers are facing difficulties in perceiving and understanding existing eco labels. In previous work, we proposed the conceptual framework of eco information individualisation which tailors eco labels according to the specific needs of individual users using contextual technologies. This paper extends the conceptual framework by introducing a more structured way of considering the personal data and product data requirements, and reports the development of a design toolkit that aims to support designers in the designing of individualised eco information. A design workshop was carried out to introduce the concept to designers, and evaluate the usability and usefulness of the toolkit. Positive responses were received. The design outputs generated from the workshop were considered largely feasible and have the potential to be developed into digital prototypes. These indicate that it is possible for designers to learn to design eco information individualisation in a short time. This paper is a step towards a greater understanding of designing individualised eco information.     

Natural and synthetic endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in water, sediment and biota of a coastal lagoon

We report a survey on the occurrence and distribution of natural (17beta-estradiol, E2; estrone, E1) and synthetic (nonylphenol, NP; nonylphenol monoethoxylate carboxylate, NP1EC; bisphenol-A, BPA; benzophenone, BP; mestranol, MES; 17alpha-ethinylestradiol, EE2; diethylstilbestrol, DES) endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) in water, sediment and biota (Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis) in the Venice lagoon, a highly urbanized coastal water ecosystem that receives both industrial and municipal wastewater effluents. The survey was preceded by the development of tailor made extraction and clean-up procedures for the simultaneous HPLC-ESI-MS determination of all examined EDCs in sediment and biota samples. Satisfactory extraction performances and method detection limits (MDLs) were obtained for almost all EDCs. Most of the selected compounds were found in water and sediment (concentration range: 2.8-211 ng/L, and 3.1-289 microg/kg, d.w., respectively), while only 17alpha-ethinylestradiol and nonylphenol were recorded in biota samples (conc. range: 7.2-240 ng/g, d.w.). 17beta-estradiol and ethinylestradiol contributed mostly to the water estradiol equivalent concentration (EEQ) (1.1-191 ng/L, average: 25 ng/L), while synthetic EDCs (17alpha-ethinylestradiol, diethylstilbestrol) were mainly responsible of the sediment EEQ (1.1-191 microg/kg, average: 71 microg/kg, d.w.). Whenever diethylstilbestrol was not recorded in the sediment, water EEQs were similar to sediment EEQs. A remarkable increase of nonylphenol was observed in sediments over the last decade.